Materials / Compare
Plastic Polypropylene vs. SLS PA12 Nylon
Compare Plastic Polypropylene vs. SLS PA12 Nylon strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 33MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield ISO 527 | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 48MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 18%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.45GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus ISO 527 | 1.65GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 900kg/m³sourcetypical, 23 °C ISO 1183-1 | 930kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 36.7kN·m/kg | 51.6kN·m/kg41% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.61MN·m/kg | 1.77MN·m/kg10% higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.42sourcebase material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 0.511GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 3.02GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,269m/s | 1,332m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17–0.22W/m·Ksourcebase material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 80–100µm/m·Ksourcebase material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 450µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | not sourced | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 28.6W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 176°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 90°CsourceHDT 0.45 MPa (ISO 75B), unannealed | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation |
| Values for | LyondellBasell Moplen HP501H polypropylene homopolymer (general purpose), typical ISO values | EOS PA 2200 (PA12) Material Data Sheet, process parameter 'Balance' at 120 µm layer thickness, X orientation, dry (conditioned values not given). Live MDS status 04.10.2026, last changed 10.09.2026; PDF via ?topdf=... link on the same page. |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
SLS PA12 Nylon is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic Polypropylene stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is stronger: its tensile strength is 48 MPa against yield strength 33 MPa for Plastic Polypropylene (45%).
Which is lighter, Plastic Polypropylene or SLS PA12 Nylon?
Plastic Polypropylene is lighter: 900 kg/m³ against 930 kg/m³ for SLS PA12 Nylon.
Which is stiffer, Plastic Polypropylene or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is stiffer: Young's modulus 1.65 GPa against 1.45 GPa for Plastic Polypropylene, so the same part in SLS PA12 Nylon deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Polypropylene or SLS PA12 Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic Polypropylene | SLS PA12 Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 10% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 3% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 1% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 41% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 24% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 17% heavier | lighter |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).